Saudi Arabia’s PIF plans $1b stake in Seera’s travel unit, Almosafer
SAUDI Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, has signed a non-binding deal with Seera Group Holding to acquire a SR3.75 billion ($1 billion) stake in its travel unit Almosafer.
The PIF seeks to hold 30% of Almosafer’s capital, Seera Group said in a bourse filing. As part [...]
Japanspecialist overwhelmed by strong demand following Japan border opening
JAPANSPECIALIST – the tour operator brand that is part of JTB Corporation – has confirmed that it is already “overwhelmed by strong demand” for its services following the news announced on August 31 that Japan would open its borders to tourists once again as of September 7, albeit in a p [...]
Letter from Bangkok: What the world needs now is a lot more wellness
RAKxa invests $27m to transform Suan Sampran into RXV for “Everyone's Wellness”
YOU know the theme song from “America’s Greatest Hero”, Walking On Air, which goes, “Believe it or not, I am walking on air, I never thought I’d feel this way.” Well, that was the song (I know, showing m [...]
Seera Group set to launch tours and activities marketplace with Klook in Saudi Arabia
Rebound in all sectors puts group in strong position, “this is just the beginning”
ON the back of another quarter of growth, with its consumer brand Almosafer recording the best quarter in its history for travel bookings, Riyadh-based Seera Group is looking to expand aggressively into the tours [...]
Singapore’s mask-off heralds good news for APAC travel
All eyes on Japan as it takes one more step towards easing of restrictions
“THE women will be happy, lipstick sales will go up,” said the Gojek driver to me, the day the announcement came that Singapore would make masks optional except in public transport and medical facilities effective August [...]
Inbound to SEA soars, Japan trending high in flight searches, Expedia to double down on B2B
“When Japan opens up, we will see another wave,” says Expedia’s new APAC head, Michael Dykes
INBOUND travel demand for SEA grew four times yoy in the first six months of 2022, indicating a strong return of travel in the region, according to Expedia flight data.
The top inbound travellers c [...]
Changing seasons boosts travel demand between Australia and South-east Asia
Australians heading to Asia to escape the cold
WHILE July to September is considered a slow travel season for both Australia and South-east Asian countries, Trip.com data (during June and July for these two key areas) shows that more travellers from these regions are booking trips during this seaso [...]
KKday doubles down on Vietnam, sets $100m target by 2023
FOLLOWING its Series C+ round close in July, KKday is setting its sights on Vietnam and says it aims to drive over $100 million for Vietnam's tourism industry by 2023.
The online travel experiences platform said it will focus on working with local merchants to digitise, launch marketing campaigns [...]
Longhaul makes a comeback, hotel and flight demand stay strong during Q2
Despite a variety of industry and economic headwinds, travel demand remained strong – “people still found a way to travel, and in many cases, went further afield,” said Jennifer Andre, global vice president, Media Solutions, for Expedia Group following the release of its Q2 2022 Travele [...]
Google Trends point to resurgence of travel in South-east Asia
IN its latest e-Conomy SEA findings of July 2022, Google's travel industry spotlight reported that search demand for international travel in June surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels across South-east Asia.
South-east Asia was the second fastest growing travel destination area – with Singapor [...]
